The Bouquet of Orange Blossoms
by Zelia Theb
Summary: Through patience, through trust, through honor we will persevere. Through me he shall learn love, and through him I shall learn to be human. KuramaKuwabara ShounenAi CandySeriesIII
1. I

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The Bouquet of Orange Blossoms…

Bouquet in this sense meaning scent, but could also be taken as a bunch of flowers.

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About this story: This fiction is directly related to my one-shot Orange Wedges (a fan-request from **shadow dragon**). I suggest reading it; it's short and like I said, it's a one-shot. In fact, you could even call this multi-chaptered work a direct sequel to Orange Wedges.

Another thing; this is the very first "_The Candy Series"_ fic that has made it beyond the one-shot norm, and quite possibly the only.

Not a fan of Kuwabara-Kurama? I wasn't either, until I finished Orange Wedges. So give it a chance, and don't forget to review.

Warnings: Shounen-Ai (Boy-boy romances).

Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi.

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The Candy Series: The Bouquet of Orange Blossoms

By Zelia Theb

The leaves fall around us, swirling around like a tornado before settling on the grass, and even once, on our picnic. The two of us, we coincide with nature, his brightly colored orange haired complimenting the leaves that fall; and my own red locks matching the veins which run through them.

Our date is nearly over; I've already packed our empty dishes from the meal I prepared back into the basket. It's wonderfully serene; the noise from the city is distant, and all we can hear is the sound of nature, our words, and our laughter.

I am simply amazed every time I gaze upon him. Kazuma Kuwabara…when I see him I see strength, honor, purity, and trust. His chiseled features and tall, built physique really make me appear feminine in comparison, but I pay no mind to it.

I'm _in love_ with him.

I've made my vow; I shall give him due time to become adjusted to our relationship, not only because I respect him, but because that fact alone makes me feel more human.

"Hey, did I tell ya what Urameshi did today at school?" he smiles. It seems as though my thoughts have caused me to disregard the fact that he's moved considerably close to me now; and his hand is only inches from my own. It teases me; but I must be thoughtful of my promise not to rush him. Though it has been at least two weeks since I brought him the candies and confessed my feelings to him; it feels like forever. Just one gentle touch, just one caress…I suppose that this is the art of courting.

"No, you haven't," I reply coyly, "I'm certain that it's rather mischievous." I stroke the blanket softly, impatience rising in my fingertips.

"Well," he chuckles coarsely, "He was pretty pissed 'cause Keiko was yellin' at him again, so he went to the roof of the school. But I guess some kids were up there waitin' to pick a fight with him. So then I found him 'cause Botan wanted me to look for him, and it turns out that…" He stops…

Because I've placed my hand over his. I fold the tips of my fingers over his and squeeze lightly, then say, "Go on."

"So, yeah…" he laughs nervously, a blush crossing his high cheekbones, "Well in the end, Urameshi whooped the punks and got smacked by Keiko anyway…yeah, it's not all that important." Rubbing his free hand through the curled hairs on the back of his head, his other lifts a bit and turns, returning my hold.

He can't look at me though, but why? Is he afraid that I'll pursue something more? No; Kazuma…Shuichi is polite, even if he is but a boy in love with you.

"I…I'm sorry, Kurama," he apologizes suddenly, head still titled downward to his knees, "I'm thankful that you've been so patient with me, it's just that…I dunno if I can ever get used to this." My heart leaps unhealthily, but at least… No, I shall not give up so easily!

"I mean, uh." He stammers as he sees my face; I must have shown emotion, but perhaps that is my problem. He corrects himself, "I guess, I dunno, I'm just not ready for that yet." I blink. Certainly, the fact that he was once a straight boy doesn't necessarily mean that his belief means holding hands leads to naked intima…

"I'm sure you're good to kiss, and all, what with all the girls and stuff clamoring over you, not to mention your life in the demon world…hehe." There's that nervous chuckle again; "I just think that kissing would be too much of a change. I wanna wait longer."

I succumb to the pure and joyous laughter welling in my throat. He looks at me, puzzled as to why I'm suddenly laughing at myself. I answer, "It's just that…Oh, I thought that the absolute worst scenario was happening, and…goodness. I just want to hold your hand. While I'd like nothing more than to kiss you, I'd love it even more if _you_ wanted to…and…"

"And?" he grins from my stupidity.

"And I've never kissed anyone as Shuichi," I end bashfully. Yes, my days as the infamous thief Youko Kurama were indeed wild and…demonlike…but my life as the son of Shiori is a highly different matter.

"You've got to be lying!" he graciously accuses me.

"I am not!" I retort, starting what could very well become a game of "Uh-huh-Nuh-Uh".

"Well then!" he states, crossing his arms and throwing his nose into the air, "I guess someday, good ol' Kuwabara might have ta change that!"

"Is that so?" I quirk an eyebrow up. The thought excites me; I should not have doubted him at all. I can only imagine what it will be like..

Perhaps he we will be alone in my room, studying some night, and he will suddenly take my into his arms, a strong embrace enveloping my very soul before taking my lips into his. Or maybe after a candlelight dinner, I'll stand to retrieve dessert, and find myself pinned against the refrigerator…and….

"Yes, it is," he huffs in return, glancing at me out of the sides of his eye, but making it seem as if he's pretending not to look at me. Oh yes…I should really stop having these mid-conversation fantasies.

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To be continued…

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Author's Note

I've got nothing constructive or destructive this time around…so basically, don't forget to review! With something so experimental, I definitely want to hear some feedback.

Zelia


	2. II

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Author's Note: Characterization has been an issue debated in the reviews so far. Yes, it is so difficult to keep the boys in character, AND to have them acting like teenagers! This chapter is going to further progress that teenager-feeling, and introduce another theme or four to the overall plot. I figured that I would have to throw a bit more into the mix, in order to keep their characters in check. I've always viewed Kuwabara as fairly uneloquent, but able to express his feelings in an understandable fashion. A reviewer brought up a nice point - this fic is definitely more Shuichi than Kurama. I am writing from Kurama's point of view. No one knows what is going on in his head; we only assume that he struggles to maintain his humanity while dealing with the guilt and desires of a demon. This is a human story, about humans. It is Shuichi mainly (I'm not going to pull the old Yami/Hikari crap that you see in YGO fics - Kurama himself said that he was a merger of Shuichi and Youko), but Kuwabara still refers to him as Kurama because that is how he is familiar with him. I hope that made sense; the sheer run-on thought itself makes my head hurt; I can't imagine what it was like to read that mess.

Anyhow, on with the story!

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ © Yoshihiro Togashi.

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The Candy Series: The Bouquet of Orange Blossoms 

By Zelia Theb

"I can't believe I can't remember the answer to three times eight!" he mutters from his desk. A rapidly tapped pencil moves up and down, drumming a steady rhythm on the tabletop.

"Twenty-four," I answer, "Is something troubling you?" He had been murmuring various things to himself during the course of this homework run. I found it rather adorable. During the beginning of his math assignment, I even caught him wondering how many sides there were to a triangle. He's been terribly unfocused.

"My shoulders are kinda buggin' me and it's hard for me to concentrate," he replies, leaning back in his chair to his stretch. His armspan is wide; he could easily engulf two of me within it.

"Allow me to fix that for you," I smile, placing my hands upon the shoulders in his white tee. They are knotted and tense up even more when my fingers rest upon them. I remark, "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

He stutters, "N...No. I just wasn't expecting that." With that said, the muscles ease up some, and I begin to knead at them with my palms, working at them like noodle dough.

"Thanks," he exhales, "That's helping a lot." I smile, satisfied that _he_ is satisfied, and work my way around the blades of his shoulder, making sure to hit that obscure spot beneath the bone.

I wonder...how often will I be allowed to touch him so intimately yet not romantically? When will we progress further? Perhaps I should acquire a neck ache of my own, or maybe a pectoral cramp. Should I pull a hamstring? Oh, I am a naughty fox.

"What year did we withdraw from the League of Nations?" My eyelids flutter, bringing me out of my fantasy world.

I respond, quickly recalling my knowledge of Japanese history, "Nineteen thirty-three, during the Showa era." He thanks me and instantly I am drawn back into the skin I desire to touch.

I begin to daydream. Kazuma completes his homework, and turns in his chair; right, he needs a swivel chair with wheels for this one; asking me to come closer. I naturally comply, and accidentally fall into his lap. He catches me, staring deep into me eye-to-eye, and suddenly, oh so suddenly...

His lips seize mine, and our bodies press together. I run my hand through his hair, it's curly and adorable...but swiftly becomes straight and smooth. I pull away, gazing into deep brown eyes, tracing my fingertips around his curved boyish jawline.

I snap to. It's a curse...I've been thinking of Yusuke lately. It fills me with guilt; I thought that perhaps I could have forgotten him; but now it just seems that it has worsened. He fills my fantasies without my consent, and sometimes I fear that I am causing a dear friend discomfort because I do not know what I really want.

"Kurama?" Again, I float back to my body, and realize that I must have stopped my affectionate massage therapy.

"Yes, Kazuma?"

"I was thinkin'," he begins, placing a hand on top of one of mine, "Maybe I could take a homework break and we could...I dunno, watch some TV or something?" A homework break? What exactly is he insinuating? There is no one home; oh goodness!

"Yes, why don't we take a break?" I quip excitedly in return. I reach over and turn on the small television set resting on a table near his bed, and lay on my elbow; preparing to be cuddled with. Surprisingly enough, he actually lays next to me, and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me into himself.

I cannot pay attention to the show on the screen. From what I can gather, it is a science-fiction show with angels and robots. It is difficult for me to follow, mostly because I don't see that it is necessary to. I am deciding on how to react to his thumb caressing the fabric of my belly button.

I turn over and lay on my back, my hair spilling out next to my ears, and flash him a devilish grin. He seems to catch on and then says, "So..."

"Are you ready?" I inquire, my hand brushing against his face. He blushes, and fear strikes his eyes. He isn't ready, in fact, he's fooling himself. I'm rushing things...

"Well, I mean...I was." He was? He adds, "But I just had some weird psychic vision thingy. It was totally messed up and made absolutely no sense."

"What was it?" I urge him, trying to nudge him closer. Yes, Kazuma. You _know_ you'd like to ravage me right now. Oh, how I wish the techniques of that American sci-fi film truly worked.

"I was eatin' some sorta candy in school, and then Urameshi walks by and takes it from me! I didn't even punch 'im or nothing. I just walked away and that was it." Worry fills me once more. I disregard it, I do not want to think about the future or any case of infidelity.

Instead I continue to gaze into his eyes, hiding my thoughts, and try to coerce him into kissing me. Waiting; it's a very arduous task. I feel as if I may explode. I need affection. I need to feel the touch of another. I need a fix to this rising feeling within the pits of my being; this cursed teenaged libido which blends ever so beautifully with my demonic side. I desire him. I want him to relieve me slowly, before my inner chemicals cause me to race ahead too far. I fear what I may do the moment our lips finally meet.

"Kazuma," I purr softly, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I sit up and drape my arms around his shoulders, and he returns the embrace. My nose nuzzles at his ear, and I feel myself slipping; wanting to ignore my promise of a languid pace. Maybe if I just tease the nerves in his neck a bit, he may feel those same animal hormones boil within him...

However, instead of boiling over, he freezes, piercing my heart with an icy arrow.

"Kurama." He pulls a bit away from me, cupping my face in his hand for assurance; "I'm sorry, man. My brain is too caught up in why I would have some kinda vision like that. I keep expectin' our communicators to go off, or for Botan to fly in here."

"Kazuma," I plead, dancing closer to him again, "It would be best to get our minds off of any sort of work now. It's a break. Let me ease your nerves while we wait for them to contact us." I move in again, but he is firm with keeping me still.

"I thought we were gonna wait to tell everyone?" he states rhetorically. This is true...I had agreed to do so because I did not want him to be embarrassed; especially if things did not work out. It's starting to feel like it may not; and I feel at a loss. I would hope that he would not be ashamed of us.

"I know," I whisper in reply, "It has almost been a full month. I feel like..."

"Okay, okay..." he complies, "I'll take ya out to that new restaurant later this week, and we can figure out how to say something to the guys."

"Please do not pity me." I already regret the words. They were harsh, and monotone.

"I guess I can be pretty frustrating. I understand what it must be like. I'm like this big unmoving stone thingy." He sighs; "And from what you know all I would do is try and get Yukina to like me. But with you I'm all like shoving you away." I sense a sadness in his soul, brought on by the mention of Yukina. Maybe I was just a remedy for his heart-ache; maybe he is trying to move on, even if it's the hardest thing for him to do.

"But I'm gonna prove to you right now that I'm ready," he states confidently, and suddenly, my fantasies become a reality.

We are close; closer than we have ever been. For a brief moment I taste the sugar on his breath, and then feel the sensation of his mouth on mine. I close in on him, in a trance of ethereal bliss, and pull his being over me, laying myself upon the bed once more. His bottom lip is entrapped between mine; the rims begging him to deepen the connection and penetrate my mouth. However, I hesitate.

"I don't want to push you, Kazuma," I explain, "But I'll warn you now, that I'll allow myself to become lost in you very quickly."

"A...are you...?" he stammers.

I nod as much as the mattress supporting my head will allow; "As you've guessed, I'm very pent up with tension." I smirk, letting forth a seductive giggle that I haven't heard from myself since my days as Youko, "You definitely aren't ready for the experience. Which is why we should probably pull apart." My head metaphorically aches; as it has just been slapped by my lower portions for stopping what could have been, the most pleasant make-out session Shuichi could ever hope for.

His face if flush. It's as if he's trying to figure out what had transpired just a moment ago. Bashfully, he recommends, "Well, I'll just get back to homework now...uh. Yeah. History sucks, but we gotta learn it, right?"

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To Be Continued...

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Author's Note

Oh, the angst! The drama! This is so not how I originally intended to take this chapter, but it wrote itself. I like when stuff does that. It feels like this is going to be a shorter story; chapter wise. Again, I had originally intended it to be longer. So...we'll see how it goes!

(If the chapter bothered anyone - Then I would suggest looking upon your own personal relationships! Not everyone goes out with people they are in love with. Not everyone's first kiss ends up just being a kiss. Sometimes people fall for what is convenient. This is a real romance; it is not a fantasy. Do not draw upon romance knowledge from television in order to make a comparison! Thank you.)

Don't forget to check out my FanFiction Challenge in my bio. And yes, I DID update Mischief...however, was having problems so not all Author Alerts were sent out. Also, expect a _Candy Series_ starring Shizuru to hit soon. I'm rushing to pump out many of my original ideas for the series!

Zelia


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